


Daughter of Aite

by Strawberry_tree



Category: Original Work, Original Works
Genre: Estranged, Multi, Unwilling relationship, coerced, married, teen, young adult
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:13:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24191884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strawberry_tree/pseuds/Strawberry_tree
Summary: The Tamir family are the center of Snowden- a sparsely populated University town. The community herald them as a prestigious, polished family, completely without flaws. But as we all know, this simply is not possible.  Their youngest child is changing. She is strong-willed, with a new nascent anger her peers fear. She is hurtling through life, forcing all coming-of-age staplers to take a backseat.
Relationships: F/M - Relationship, Family - Relationship, Friendship - Relationship, Love-Hate, M/M - Relationship, Married Couple - Relationship, classmates, hate - Relationship, teen romance - Relationship





	Daughter of Aite

**Author's Note:**

> Despite the title, this story does not center around, nor contain any Greek Mythology.

September 1st. A typically bitter night had begun its slow descent upon the town. So too had the sparse copperflakes. The red snow would soon thicken, steadily piling until a thin sleet had formed. When thoroughly trodden, it would run red in the streets, reminiscent of the town’s bloody past. But that was a different story, for a wholly different narrator. For now, it will provide a beautiful backdrop to a dreadful evening, one that would come as a surprise to absolutely no-one. 

A large room, neatly tucked away in a large, detached house, was nearly saturated with nubile bodies, all within various stages of maturation. It had witnessed its fair-share of teenage drunkenness for the evening.  
To the right of an empty bottle, sitting side by side were three girls. To the left, two boys. Drab uniforms were draped over each figure, turquoise jumpers twisted and bound around waists or piled on top of the only chair in the room. A slim wrist rotated anti-clockwise then spun sharply in the opposite direction. The momentum sent the empty bottle into a wild twirl, its lip hunting its bottom in a fruitless chase. Each pair of eyes were unhinged. The spinning slowed, then stopped. Kharis. Again. The lanky girl with lethargic movements heaved a sigh then leaned back onto her hands. “This bottle hates me.” 

The older boy sitting adjacent to her eyes gleamed, a dubious smile ruining his features. “Truth or dare?”- No pause. “Okay, dare.” He sped. “I dare you to go to Dick’s house tomorrow- at night. Ask him out to the festival.” he finished. Cue simultaneous eye-rolls. The boy, Taro Nicholson- Tarr to his mates- was a doggedly good friend, his loyalty nonpareil. Convincing Kharis to accept his friend’s advances seemed to be his sole agenda this school term. Dick, though not currently present, would approve  
.  
The others in the room were quickly losing interest in the game. The amateurishly-brewed alcohol, lovingly named Johncrow had begun to set in. Kharis’ voice fell out like a sigh, “Like hell is that ever gonna happen. I pick truth.” 

Looking more disheartened, Tarr conceded, “Okay, whatever. Spoilsport. Last year, when Doc’ Sampson’s room got trashed- was it you?” A pregnant pause, then a glare from the taller student. She was slightly surprised he would bring that up, but more annoyed than anything else. She already knew everyone believed it was her. Only the girl beside her could confirm; she’d been there. Sitting so close that their folded legs touched was her lifelong friend, Red. The fireblood had even bred the idea to set the human teacher’s room alight. Although it was said in jest after receiving a disappointing test score, Kharis was not one to let good ideas pass.

“I’m sure you can answer that for yourself.” Kharis finished coolly, fixing her eyes on her classmate. He looked away. He was usually one to rise to taunting but arguing with Kharis Tamir, rightful owner (but renowned shirker) of the Queen-bee crown, was pointless.  
“This game doesn’t work of you pick and choose when to answer Kharis.” He grumbled.

Red knocked her head against her friend’s. “Anyone with a drop of sense could have guessed that it was you Kay. But who would bother tattling on an oh-so-precious Tamir?” Stated Red sarcastically, poking her friend’s cheek. Kharis swiped at the offending appendage.

“Don’t call me that, gingernut.” 

“Call you what? Tamir? But that’s your name!” continued Red, clearly relishing in her little acts of annoyance. 

“It’s hardly a name. More like a branding.” The brown teen mused, still pushing away her bothersome friend.

A clap from the youngest person in the room, Timothy, shattered the atmosphere. “Right, I think we’d all agree that its due time we head home.” He rose swiftly, hoisting up his girlfriend as he gathered their belongings. Red swayed as she stood, still unstable from her drinks. She nudged her best friend with her curved, upright foot.  
“Kay, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She bent to give a swift kiss. “You have to come watch my entry races, okay? You promised!” She rambled on. Kharis fanned her away. The others in the room followed suit. They batted ideas of going to watch a movie, grab a bite to eat or retiring for the night around as they left. Tarr gave one last defeated look as he trudged behind the group. Kharis did not bother to see them out. 

Finally left alone, she threw herself back on the cold floor. The day had been long and exhausting. Classes had passed, she had missed all but one. But lying there in the smallest room of house, she felt oddly satisfied. Another day’s cycle was nearly complete, and with it, she felt strengthened.  
Even when her mother’s clear voice danced down the stairs, her high spirits remained. She ran her hand along the floor, rubbing the pieces of lint idly. She did not glance up as two legs came through the door. If she had bothered to look, she would have seen a comely figure, soft shape wrapped in cascading blue chiffon. Instead she squared her jaw, squeezing her eyes shut.  
“Hm?”

“I wish you would be more polite.” Novlet mused, looking down at her child.  
‘And I wish you’d leave me alone’ Kharis thought. Instead of arguing, she fanned a hand in the air, urging her mother on.  
“I can see I won’t get much out of you today, so I’ll keep it short- me and your father have to govern a disciplinary hearing this weekend. Can I count on you to stay home?”  
Kharis just raised her brows. With a deep sigh, Novlet resigned, retreating with her gown clutched to her.  
Upstairs, her husband waited for her with hopeful eyes. She simply shook her head as she fell into his embrace. “Don’t cry honey, she’ll come around one day.” He cooed. 

The only exam hall on the Cinderbridge campus of Snowden was leaking bodies. Students were dismissed in rows, front-to-back. Grabbing their bags, they congregated outside, their faces metamorphosing from relief back to anxiety.  
As discussions about possible exam answers flitted between classmates, two friends walked side by side. One retrieved a hat from her bag and quickly pulled it over her shorn head. She gave a sideways look at her companion. “How do you cope in winter with those things?” She indicated to the two pointed ears that poked through Red’s own hat. Currently, they were covered in thick, fluffy fur- red, naturally.

“I cope the same way every fireblood has since the beginning of time Kharis. And besides, all the hair makes it easier to keep my orb’s homeostasis.” She argued. The orb, as it was called in Northern regions, was soul-fire. You would be hard pressed to find out who decided it was orb-shaped. The soul-fire made Red’s faintly tanned skin burn red in the centre of her back, where it resided. Kharis used to warm her hands there when they were children.  
Kharis shrugged. Fair point. She fixed her dark-eyes at the arched windows. Copperflakes hurled down. Winter would stretch for an age, as it always did in the northern towns.  
Turning back, she asked “Do your ears make it harder to race? More drag?”

Red scoffed. “That drag is the only thing giving anyone else a chance.” She replied cockily. Oftentimes, Red would have the longest ears on the track. But she knew she was fast, as did the school’s beneficiaries. Even for a fireblood, the descendants of the quickest, nimblest individuals who historically led hunts, she was unnaturally speedy. Her athletic ability guaranteed her sponsorships, which in turn ensured she’d spend nearly all her free time racing all over the country. Despite that, her best-friend had yet to watch her. “And before you even say it, don’t even bother making up excuses. You have to come and watch me race.” 

Kharis rolled her eyes. “I need to do something at home. How about next week?” She inquired. Her friend huffed. 

“I knew you were gonna flake.” She grumbled, shooting a mean side-eye. “What’s so important that you can’t come?” 

The hallway ahead was silent as they walked towards the double doors, noise steadily building behind. The security guard gave them a curt nod, to which only Red returned.  
“Family stuff.” 

Red was not satisfied with her answer. “You have to babysit your cousins again?” Her friend only shrugged, looking straight ahead. Her avoiding gaze swept over a tall boy leaning against the ‘No Visitor’s Parking’ sign. A helmet hung in his hand.  
“Something like that.” She finished. 

“Hello Red. Kharis.” Timothy greeted as he eased upright. His black boots left deep, pronounced prints as he approached them. “I’ve damn-near frozen.”

Red threw her arms around him, planting a kiss on his mantling cheek. “You didn’t have to wait for me Tim. You didn’t even have any classes today.” to which he just shrugged.  
“I figured I’d pick you up since your father’s still away.” The younger teen explained. His girlfriend was smiling brightly, ready to pinch his face as she always did. The two lovers smiled at each other. Timothy asked about the exam. Kharis slunk away and beelined to her car across the way. The black SUV had a thick coating of copperflakes, making it look practically sinister. 

Red managed to unlatch her mouth long enough to say “Hey! Are you sure you can’t come?”  
Kharis turned and signalled that she would call her. A white lie. She knew later her mind would be fixated on one entity, as it always was when she had time alone. Quickly unlocking her door, she slipped inside. She slowly peeled past her friend, waving a hand at the pair as they climbed onto the bike. 

Alone in the vehicle, she let her imagination wander. Her eyes refused to remain focused on the narrow roads, instead wandering to the haggles of people striding to taxi stands or disappearing into food taverns. As always, dark coloured clothes were ubiquitous. Bright colours were sparse this far north, hardly fit for purpose after the snow stained them. She turned back to the road as the crowds thinned. Her home lay just outside the main campus zone. The size of the houses grew as did the space between each property.  
A beep from her phone sounded, snapping her idle mindedness. Quickly braking on the sleety road, she narrowly missed colliding with a jaywalker. The anger came quickly. Dropping her window, she leaned out. “You absolute fucking idiot!” The car from behind cautiously overtook her, registering the near-accident. The man, still on his bottom from jumping back looked up in shock. His reflexes had been noticeably pathetic, sluggishly slow.  
The cold had started to seep into his trouser, but a mixture of shock and relief held him steadfast. When the brown-skinned girl flew her door, he finally winced. “You almost killed me.” He choked out. 

“I should’ve done. Are you blind or just stupid?” She seethed.  
The man, who on closer glance was just a freakishly gangly teen, was no longer listening, instead brushing off his clothes with shaky hands.  
“Stupid. Fucking imbecile.” Came her last taunt. She registered his hair, a dull brown, cropped close to his head. Sat below his eye was a black spot. He looked oddly familiar. If she had taken the time to really look, she would’ve noticed a turquoise jumper tied to his backpack. Instead, she slammed her door and drove past him, leaving passers-by to tend to him.  
“Human waste.” 

She was pulling into her garage in minutes. Both of her parents’ cars were still there leaving only one free space. It had been unfilled for months. She set her jaw as she walked past it, swiftly unlocking the door leading into her home.  
Kharis slipped her boots off, leaving them to dry on a mat. Her mother stopped fumbling in her purse. Her daughter’s skin was tinged red, lips bright. She hadn’t worn her scarf, leaving her shorn nape vulnerable. She swallowed her nagging.  
“We’re leaving in a moment. Would you like me to leave anything?” Asked Novlet. The teen shook her head as she removed her wet garments. “Okay. Alright. I’ve left some money on the counter- just in case. All the medication is in the blister pack. I’ve given today’s dose.”  
Kharis walked past her, ignoring her mother’s tortured expression. “Kay. Please. Just don’t leave until we’re back. Okay?”  
Before she could be disappointed by the lack of reply, her husband came out of the living room. Kharis started up the stairs.  
Both parents stared after her before looking at each other. Robe came and grasped her hand, leading her to the door.


End file.
